‘You have the benefits but not the burdens, it seems’
The Opel Grandland This SUV came onto the market before Opel was incorporated by the then PSA group, but is already fully equipped with French influences. It almost seems as if the joint development of this model was a test, after which the green light was given for the final takeover. What do drivers who opted for a Grandland X notice?
The Grandland You probably remember the old Frontera, but you are forgiven if the Opel Antara has slipped from your memory. With the Grandland The Frontera was a German-Japanese creation, while the Antara has a good dose of Korean genes.
The Grandland With this he shares his platform and powertrains, but also things such as the infotainment system. Enough history lesson, time to investigate what owners think of their Opel.
User-friendly SUV?
The Grandland plays a big brother to the Opel Astra, a role that was previously reserved for the MPV Zafira. Is the Grandland just as big? “Although it was said in all tests that it is reasonably spacious inside, we find this disappointing,” writes the owner of a 2020 Grandland suggest the car. Of course, as a driver, it is always a tight spot behind me, because my seat is always in the rearmost position,” he explains, “but our three children are still very close together in the back and the way in which the seat belts are attached in the back always ensures quite a drama. You really sit on each other’s seat belt holder.”
A Grandland X 1.6 CDTi driver points out the limited headroom. “At 1.82 meters, I have little space above my head, partly due to the panoramic roof,” he writes. “This sometimes gives an oppressive feeling in this spacious SUV. You have a spacious seat in the back, but if I, as a driver, want to sit comfortably, my seat quickly hits the knees of the rear passenger.” Another negative comment: “The rear seat is reasonable, but not overly spacious. Certainly not with taller people (more than 1.80 meters) in the back seat,” says the owner of a Grandland X 1.5 CDTi.
It will be a matter of perspective, because a number of others are quite satisfied with the space available. “The back seat is sufficiently spacious for two adults and a child, I can sit comfortably behind myself (1.82 meters) and have sufficient head and foot room,” writes the owner of a comparable Grandland X 1.2 Turbo. A diesel driver is also satisfied with the space offered. “The space in the front is large and you also sit really well in the back. The trunk is large and when the benches lie flat, you have plenty of space. You can also place the rear bottom high and low and that is very useful.”
Nice AGR seats
As divided as the riders are about the space available, they are equally unequivocal about the seating comfort. It seems that many Grandlanders opted for the AGR-certified seats. “If there is an option, go for the comfort seats!” shouts one owner who did just that. The reason? “Because the seat is easy to extend, you don’t get tired legs. It’s just fine.”
The next rider goes further than ‘fine’. “The seats of the Grandland X are AGR certified and really fantastic,” he raves. “The seat is nice and long and can be extended further. The chairs are also very easy to adjust and give me perfect support in the lower back and lumbar region. After a hard ride I arrive much more relaxed.”
However, the chairs also have a downside, several directors emphasize. “The AGR seats can be adjusted in countless ways, but this means that things can also go wrong in countless ways,” notes the driver of a Grandland X 1.2 Turbo Innovation. “It took me several weeks to find a good sitting position. Now that it has finally been found and programmed, this is no longer a problem, but still.” Another Innovation driver also noticed this. “In the beginning I had a lot of trouble with the electric chairs and also with the high seat. I couldn’t quite find my way, while I didn’t have this problem in my previous cars. That probably has to do with the higher model and the angle you are now sitting in,” he explains. “In the end it all worked out and I am sitting comfortably on the AGR chair.”
How does the Grandland drive?
French cars are known as quite soft, while Germans have a reputation for being quite hard. We are curious about how this collaboration will turn out. A 1.6 CDTi driver: “Riding higher takes little getting used to. You have the benefits, but not the burdens, it seems. Of course, it leans a little more and has a little more understeer than lower cars, but that’s not too bad. Once you get used to it, you can read and write with it. The 18-inch wheels with large tires also contribute to this. The car is certainly not softly sprung, but it is still reactive to bumps.”
Whether ‘reactive’ should be interpreted positively or negatively here is not entirely clear, but another diesel driver is happy to help. “The car is stiffer than I expected and stiffer than the Golf GTE I first drove. I just have the standard 18-inch rims, albeit with winter tires.” An experience that the following 1.2 Turbo driver shares. “On country roads and in city traffic it is a comfortable car, but from around 110 km/h I find it just too nervous, especially on short bumps. If it goes faster, you will notice that the stability is there. You just miss the peace in the chassis that the Astra had.” A fellow 1.2 driver contributes even more. “The handling is quite stiff and there is a searching feeling from the rear when you hit a bump in the road.”
How does the car continue to drive? “The handling is excellent and I also like the steering,” writes the driver about his Grandland X 1.2 Turbo Business Executive. “It is not as dynamic as a Ford, but sufficiently communicative. Although the car is a bit higher than a station wagon or hatchback, it is not very sensitive to crosswinds.”
And the French engines?
As mentioned, the Grandland “Enginally, the 1.2 three-cylinder is sufficient for us,” writes a user who opted for this engine. “It hums nicely, you can keep up with traffic quickly enough and it is still wonderfully quiet around 100 km/h.” He is less complimentary about the eight-speed automatic transmission. “I don’t think the automatic is great. Usually the shifting is timely and smooth, but especially when coasting gently and then accelerating again (when approaching an intersection, for example), it reacts very slowly and often has to think before you can accelerate again.” This is also the opinion of another rider who is traveling with this combination. “Although the 1.2 Turbo with 130 hp is a fine piece of technology, I find it a bit nervous at highway speed in combination with the otherwise fine eight-speed automatic transmission. A little gas and voila, two or three flights of stairs back.”
A third complaint also concerns the combination with the automatic transmission. “Driving the Grandland X is especially relaxing,” writes a Business Executive driver. “With the 1.2T engine it really isn’t a success. Especially when driving away, you notice that the engine has just a little too little power. This makes it sometimes a bit jerky in first and second gear. Once up to speed, the engine and the eight-speed automatic transmission are a great combination.” There is another bummer that several riders are complaining about. “The start-stop system does not always ensure jerk-free driving. I switch this off depending on the route and the number of traffic lights.”
Maintenance, malfunctions, irritations
Fortunately, most of the complaints that users note can be classified under the category ‘minor complaints’. What is most striking is the large number of comments about creaking door panels. “In right-hand bends you sometimes press your arm against the door at the handle and then it starts to creak like an old VOC ship,” says a driver who experiences this. “While nothing else rattles or creaks in this otherwise well-built car.” It somewhat contradicts an earlier comment from his keyboard: “If you lean against the B-pillar when getting in, you sometimes push the plastic cover out of its seams, because that is very easy. You can push back, but still.” Another driver recognizes the complaint about the creaking door panel: “The armrest on the door side creaks every time I put my elbow on it.” Few problems are reported other than cracking, but one user is experiencing excessive bad luck. He had to deal with defective drive shafts, oil consumption, various noises and a stranding caused by the start-stop system.
The image painted of the Grandland X is as ambiguous as its genes. On the one hand, the drivers are quite satisfied and the car appears to be quite reliable, on the other hand, hardly any outliers are reported. Drivers are almost unanimously positive about the AGR seats, but when it comes to space and handling, reactions are moderate. On the other hand, the car just seems to do what it has to do, which perhaps makes it a real Opel. Are you curious about what the future has in store for this Opel SUV? Then take a look at the preview of the new Opel Grandland.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl